1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a tabletop, and more particularly to a portable tabletop for use while mounted atop a conventional bucket.
2. Prior Art
It has been a general practice to employ conventional buckets in a myriad of activities after their original contents have been removed. Many of these activities such as fishing, gardening, painting, camping, tile laying, etc. would also benefit from being performed with the aid of a table. Tables however, are often not readily available and hence objects with flat or somewhat flat surfaces are used instead. For example, when fishing, whether in a boat or from land, having a table would be advantageous in performing tasks such as measuring fish, rigging lines, cleaning fish, preparing lunch, etc. Due to the lack of readily available tables when fishing, the ground, a board, or even boat seats are commonly used as alternatives. Conversely, buckets are often readily available when fishing as they are frequently used for holding fish, bait, or tackle.
Activities which involve eating outdoors, such as camping and picnicking, often suffer due to a lack of available and convenient tables for holding food, beverages, gear, etc. Again, these are activities where buckets are frequently present due to their regular use as storage containers and furthermore as trash receptacles after their contents have been removed. In the absence of adequate tabletop space, coolers, automobile hoods, lowered truck tailgates, chairs, and the ground are commonly used substitutes.
Using items as tables which were not designed to be used as tables presents drawbacks during many activities. Cleaning fish on a boat seat or a board can be hazardous, messy, and difficult. Using a cooler as a table requires removing all items from atop the cooler in order to access its interior. Sitting items on the ground provides easy access for insects and can expose them to dirt and moisture. What is needed is a portable tabletop designed to be used in conjunction with a conventional bucket without denying access to the interior of the bucket whilst also providing ample surface area to be sufficiently useful in a multitude of activities.
The prior art reveals a device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,076 dated Jul. 11, 1989 to Menges, Sr. et al., that can be used as a small table while mounted on top of a bucket. However, this patent describes a device designed specifically for use by an individual as a cutting board for cleaning fish and as a seat while fishing. A disadvantage of this device is that its surface area is very small thereby making the device unsuitable for many activities where a larger surface is needed. Another disadvantage of this device is that by not mounting centrally over the bucket the engaging portions of the bucket and device are mitigated resulting in a less secure attachment of the device to the bucket.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,292,980 dated Jan. 28, 1919 to W. T. Fry discloses a small holder that can be attached to a bucket for the purpose of holding a brush and for wiping excess material from a brush. A disadvantage of this device is its very small size, which makes it unsuitable to hold many objects at once or even single objects much larger than a paintbrush.